Crimson Destiny
by CrimsonKey
Summary: A boy who wishes for nothing but a normal life. Another boy who wishes his normal life would end. When worlds collide, darkness emerges. Hopes, dreams, fears, nightmares, our heroes will face them all. Join the Tamers, as they discover a universe they never knew existed. With the return of various enemies, will everyone remain unscathed? Rated T just in case. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Peoples! CrimsonKey here! This is my first fanfic, so I hope you guys enjoy. I accept any and all comments, so fire away! Also, if there's someone you don't know, or something you don't understand, either ask me about it, or Google it. Trust me, it really helps! Also, I own nothing apart from the plot.**

**Note: The Digimon may be called their Rookie form names, but they are still in the In-Training forms.**

Takato groaned, not wanting to get out of bed. He glanced at the digital alarm clock he had gotten for his birthday last year.

August 19th 7:02

Only six more days. Six more days of summer fun, then it's off to school. Back to the life of a normal kid. The normal life Takato didn't want. Sure after two years of living a peaceful life, many people would think Takato and his friends would enjoy it.

They in fact, missed all the action from their previous life. No Digimon to battle, no Digital World to explore, no D-Reaper to defeat. A normal life seemed bland compared to that. The thrill of adventure still lingered beneath the sadness that enveloped his world.

He rolled back onto his pillow and stared at the ceiling. Guilmon. I miss you boy.

The bread snarfing goofball that was his friend was still trapped in the Digital World. No one to play tag with. No one to eat truckloads of bread with. Just stranded in a chaotic world that seemed lifetimes away.

Lucky for Takato though, Hypnos was hard at work. After saving the world, Yamaki had realized he was wrong about most Digimon. To right the wrongs he had made, the team at Hypnos were busy trying to recreate Grani. With Grani, the Tamers would be able to enter the Digital World and rescue their isolated partners.

However, Grani, aka The Ark, had been a multi-million dollar project. After Grani had sacrificed himself, his blueprints had disappeared. Not only was Hypnos trying to scrounge around for the money for the project, they also had to recreate the blueprints from scratch. Despite starting the project two years ago, not much had been completed.

Takato still held on to what little hope he had though. He had made a promise, and he was not going to go back on his word. A promise had made the situation slightly more, optimistic. With a promise between best friends, it just had to be true. With the promise, it seemed more likely they would see each other again.

He swung his legs to the side of his bed and began to get ready for the day. He had promised to meet everybody at the park to practice with their cards. Takato, Henry, Ryo, and Rika were all pros, however they were slowly coaching the others with to increase their skill. Everyone was improving immensely, however Jeri was progressing the most. With Rika as her mentor, Jeri was swiftly rising to their level.

Despite the conversation being two years ago, Takato still could not reveal his true feelings for Jeri again. On the train, he had wanted to cheer Jeri up after she had lost her partner. As he continued his speech, his feelings for her poured out of his heart and became words that paled in comparison to her beauty. Of course at the time, Jeri had been brainwashed by the D-Reaper. Even after saving her life from the gigantic red blob that had tried to delete mankind, Takato could not summon the words to confess how he felt about her. Feeling troubled, he confided these feelings to Henry.

Henry neither judged, nor interrupted Takato as he explained all the churning emotions that boiled inside him. After Takato finished, Henry would give various types advice. Henry had taught Takato how to meditate, clearing his mind of these painful emotions.

"Bye mom, I'm going to the park," cried Takato as he put his green tennis shoes on. Regardless of the fact his mother had wanted to buy new clothing for the school year, Takato and the rest of his friends, kept their original attire of clothes. If- not if, when their Digital partners were reunited with them, they wanted their partners to recognize them. Besides, the clothes still reminded them about their adventures with their Digimon, that it wasn't all a dream.

"Okay, honey. Here, take some bread to your friends as well." Said Takato's mother as she handed him a heavy paper bag. Takato opened it, and gave a faint chuckle. Guilmon bread. After the D-Reaper incident, the bread had become a huge hit. It became so big in fact that, Guilmon became the official mascot of the bakery. Another new request, made by Kazu, was that each Digimon had their own bread. In honor of saving the world, each Digimon from the gang was now an edible creation that was permanently part of the menu.

Takato gave his mother a quick hug before running out the door. His parents had mellowed out quite a bit after the battle with the D-Reaper. His mother no longer kept him on as short as a leash as she used to. His father was as cheery as ever, happily whistling as he baked batch after batch of bread. However, despite the happiness, Takato could feel some sort of tension between his parents. Nether the less, he didn't know what was wrong with them. He figured they were still a little traumatized after seeing their "baby boy" save the world.

Takato shrugged these thoughts off as he mounted his bike. He began to pedal towards the park, desperate not to be late to the meeting, again.

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Vixiemon struggled to open her eyes. Her Digital companions lay scattered on the long grass, still unconscious. After the bright light that had hit them, she wasn't surprised.

Hearing the footsteps of something bigger than herself, Vixiemon swerved to her left, leaping into battle stance. A little human, about Suzy's age, crawled through some prickly brambles. Vixiemon let out a strangled choking sound."Doggy!" exclaimed the child delightedly.

Before she could stop it, the child rushed over to her and began to pet her head. Vixiemon sat there unable to think or speak. Paralyzed with an endless wave of emotion, Vixiemon began to weep silently. This human, it seems insignificant, but its appearance has convinced Vixiemon of the was back, she was home! Vixiemon allowed herself a small smile, the first one in what seemed like forever.

The small child, satisfied, crawled back through the brambles, back to where ever it had come was grateful to the small human. Now that it was gone, she would lead her friends home. Back to their partners and loving families. However, she also wanted to prolong the contact with the child. Rika had rarely touched her and since being in the Digital World, it had been so long since she had contact with a human. Now that she had returned, Vixiemon was certain that Rika would be ecstatic to be reunited with her, no matter how hard she tried to hide her emotions. But Rika was not a very intimate person, so there was limited physical contact.

There was a certain stillness in the air, one she recognized, she was being didn't move, in fact, she rolled her eyes, "You enjoyed that didn't you?"

Yaamon crawled out from behind his tree, a huge smirk on his face. "Didn't know you gave out free pets toots. Maybe I should get in line." A nonstop bout of laughter exited his small mouth.

Vixiemon's face blushed bright red in embarrassment. She twitched her tail in frustration, eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" she questioned through gritted teeth. An idea began to take shape in her mind. Vixiemon mirrored his smirk, an evil look in her eye. "Tell anyone, and I'll coax Susie into giving you her Princess Pretty Pants treatment. I'm sure Terriermon will take plenty of pictures."

Now it was Yaamon's turn to turn a deep red. "You wouldn't dare!" he sputtered. "I'm too dignified to be wearing that much pink!"

"Well then, somebody better keep their mouth closed." Vixiemon glanced at him, her gaze cool. "Is everyone conscious?"

Yaamon hesitated, being somewhat quiet for once. It was a moment before he spoke again. "Everyone is conscious except for Kokomon and that Doggymon. Nobody's injured…" he trailed off.

"Then what's wrong" Vixiemon asked harshly. "If it is nothing, then we must be on our way home. I am eager to see my Tamer again, as you are to see yours."

Yaamon could only give Vixiemon a sad glance. His next words were difficult for Vixiemon to process. The positive mood she'd had earlier disappeared in a split second.

Noooo. It just couldn't be true. She hadn't had a chance to repay her debt. She hadn't had a chance to introduce him to her friends.

Yaamon held his head low. "We should return to the others. I'm sure they'll want to see everyone again." He began to hop away.

Vixiemon made no attempt to move. Slowly sinking to the ground, she buried her head in the ground and began to weep,bitterly. Her friend, her savior, Sora, had sacrificed himself, she was sure of it. Despite being held against her will by the Megas, Vixiemon had heard the din of combat, quite faintly, over the storm. Somehow, somewhere, Sora had sacrificed himself to send her and her friends home. Most likely dead, because of her.

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Takato lay on a carpet of long soft grass, gazing at clouds, chuckling to himself. That cloud looks like Guilmon after he had eaten through the entire pantry. And that one looks like Guilmon hiding from Terriermon. Come to think about it, the more Takato looked at all the clouds, the more they all began to look like a certain red Digimon. Takato suppressed another sigh. He tried to hide it, but he longed to be with Guilmon again. Who knew that in the end, it was him, Takato, that would sucumb to lonliness. The boy who brought the Tamers together and helped save the world.

Despite everything that had happened; losing Leomon, Beelzemon nearly succumbing to darkness, Jeri being corrupted by the D-Reaper, losing Guilmon is what made Takato to mentally start cracking. Every day,week,month, and year that passed, made the situation seem even more hopeless. Even if Hypnos built Grani, their best shot at reuniting with everyone, the Tamers would still have to navigate the Digital World and rescue everyone. As far as Takato knew, all of the Digimon they once knew were scattered across it, hopeless, alone, and lost.

"Wow! So this is what it feels like to be analyzing everything!" His time with Henry must be rubbing off on him. Takato glanced at the other Tamers. Now that the training session was done, everyone seemed to be doing their own thing. Kazu and Kenta were gawking at Ryo as he and Henry were battling with their cards. Jeri seemed to be making a daisy chain with the small flowers that grew in the park. Rika was sitting under a tree, closing her eyes and listening to her music. The Junior Tamers, as Kazu liked to call them, which consisted of Susie, Ai, and Mako, were all enjoying a friendly game of tag.

The point of these training sessions were so that everyone would be able to protect themselves once they were reunited with their Digimon. Not only did it help keep everyone in contact with each other, but it also reminded everyone of their goal. To grow strong, and brave the Digital World. At first, it was Rika teaching Jeri the basics of the card game. However, after seeing this, Susie also wanted to learn how to play. And soon, everyone was teaching everyone, creating the training unit that bound them together, as Tamers.

Takato could feel his eyes beginning to close. The stress between worrying about his friends and family, and thinking about Guilmon were beginning to take their toll on him. Slumber was beginning to grip when, when he heard a rustling of leaves. Cracking his eyes open, he saw a boy, about the age of four, crawling out of some bushes. The child gave Takato a wide smile. " I help hurt doggy by petting it." It gave a gleeful squeal before tottering off, back to its mother probably.

Takato gave a small smile. It was hard to be depressed when there was a little kid around. The joyful feelings they always had seemed contagious, especially when helping out a hurt dog. He dragged himself to his feet, deciding to check on the dog. His parents had mellowed out dramatically, perhaps he could convince them to adopt it.

Sometimes, Takato was envious of Henry. Henry had a very large family, there was always someone he could play with, or relate to. After Guilmon had been ripped away from his life, Takato had begun to wish for someone his age he could be close to. This dog, it may help quench the loneliness that enveloped his heart. It would be no Guilmon, but he would definitely appreciate the company.

Crawling under the spiky brambles, Takato found himself in a small clearing. Despite his wishes, there was no dog, only an abandoned, dirty green doll. It looked somewhat like a unicorn. Stooping over to pick it up and inspect it, Takato was surprised when the doll wearily opened its eyes. "You like what you see?" it asked in a tired, but very familiar voice.

Takato let out a gasp, nearly dropping the doll, before his reflexes kicked in. "Terriermon?" Tears began to blur his vision, the Digimon were back!

Terriermon gave a weak smile. "Who else would be this good looking?" The small green Digimon closed his eyes for a moment, looking quite pathetic. " If you don't mind, I would love to see Henry."

Takato snapped out of his emotional state. "Of course!" It was only then that Takato realized how weak the Digimon sounded. He knew it wasn't his place to ask, but before he could rethink the situation, he blurted out his thoughts. "Terriermon? What happened? Is everyone okay?"

Terriermon looked away. "I- I can't explain it right now. It's just-" Before Terriermon could continue speaking, he collapsed into Takato's shaking hands.

Takato began to panic. "Terriermon!? Please! Hold on!" He stuffed the frail Digimon into the backpack he had luckily brought with him. After securing the flap, he raced through the brambles, desperate to get to Henry. As he neared Guilmon's hut, he ran inside, disrupting the card game in the process.

Kazu whined. "Dude! Ryo was about to defeat Henry with his BlackWargreymon!" He crossed his arms and began to pout.

"Henry! I need help!" cried Takato desperately. He dove into the backpack and grabbed Terriermon.

Henry's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Terriermon!" For a split second, he was at lost, panicking as much as Takato was. Then his eyes hardened into determination. "Kazu! You're fast at running, go get some water. Kenta, I need you to tell everyone the news. Ryo, if you could pick up the cards, that would be great.

Everyone rushed to do their respective jobs, even if Kazu was muttering about how he got the lamest of jobs. Henry began examining Terriermon. "He doesn't seem to be harmed that badly, just a couple scrapes here and there. Why isn't he waking up? Come on Terriermon! Please stay with me! You only just came back. I can't lose you again."Tears were in his eyes as he begged for the little Digimon to awaken.

It was after a tense moment that a sound could be heard. A low rumble. It was then that Ryo began to laugh. "It looks like he fainted from hunger." he chuckled as he wiped his eyes.

Henry gave a smile and shook his head. "Terriermon…" he mumbled affectionately.

Takato gave a sigh of relief. "I guess its a good thing my mom gave us so much Guilmon bread. I'll go get him some." As Takato exited the hut, he was swarmed by the rest of the anxious Tamers.

An excited Susie began to jump around. "Are the Digimon really back?!"

Jeri on the other hand looked quite anxious. "Where are the others? she asked nervously. She clasped her hands together as she waited for an answer.

Takato quickened his pace as he headed towards the bag of bread. "Terriermon is the only one here right now. He fainted from hunger, so he needs to eat and heal up. I hope that after that, he can tell us where Guilmon and the others are." Takato re entered the hut, bread in tow, followed by all eyes. "Everyone's pretty anxious out there. How is he?" asked Takato, as he sweeped around the room with his gaze.

"He should be fine after he eats some of your bread." replied Ryo. "Kazu came in earlier and gave him a drink. It seemed to renew some of his energy." Ryo continued picking up cards. "I'll be outside, they seem to need a moment." After that, he stacked the cards neatly, stood up, and left the hut.

"Got it" Takato saw that Henry had moved to a corner of Guilmon's hut, Terriermon in his lap. Henry was currently talking to him, tears streaming down his face. Takato didn't want to intrude, but once Henry saw him, he beckoned Takato to come towards him. He held out the Guilmon bread. "Here Terriermon, eat up,"

Terriermon looked at the bread. "Is that….. Guilmon's head?" He took a tentative bite, before ravenously devouring the entire thing. "Peanut Butter filling! Guilmon's going to be so jealous. And so will-" He cut himself off, his brightened face becoming gloomy once more.

Takato's heart skipped a beat. "Terriermon?" he asked slowly. "Do you think you can tell us what happened? Did…." he paused, not wanting to say the next part.

Henry shook his head."I don't want to pressure him right now. His injuries are minor, but he seems shaken up about something."

The little Digimon shook his head. "Momentai," he said weakly. "I need to take you to the others. Vixiemon sent me to scout around for you guys, considering I had the most strength left."

Takato was confused. "Who is Vixiemon?"

Henry clarified that. "Renamon's In-Training form. But wait, if you were the strongest, does that mean everyone else has even worse injuries?" Takato prayed not. He didn't need any more heroes. All he wanted was to get his little buddy back.

Terriermon shook his head. "No one is injured too badly. Physically, anyway." Terriermon attempted to change the subject. " We need to find everyone. I'm sure everyone will be relieved to know we're home. Especially Vixiemon." he attempted to stand, only to fall into Henry's arms. "Thanks pal."

Henry caressed the Digimon. "Don't try to do too much, you'll wear yourself out even further. If you direct us to the other Digimon, I'll carry you."

Terriermon nodded. "You're the boss. I'm just gonna close my eyes for a minute…." he dozed off in an instant.

Henry gave a small smile. "Same old Terriermon." He switched his gaze to Takato. "I wanted to thank you, for reuniting us. I don't know what to feel right now though," he muttered uncertainly. "On one hand, I'm beyond happy to see him again. On the other, it tears me apart to just even think of everything he had to go through. You saw how he was acting, he wasn't joking around, he was being serious for once."

Takato gave a nod. "I'm worried about everyone else. Something happened to them in the Digital World. Something that even made Terriermon go silent."

Takato and Henry both stood up slowly, before walking out of the hut, careful not to wake the sleeping Digimon. As they neared their fellow Tamers, Henry put a finger to his lips. "Stay quiet please. I don't want to wake him." Everyone nodded, fully aware of the situation.

Rika was the first to speak, silencing everyone with a glare. "Where's Renamon?" she asked silently, eyes blazing at those who should challenge her.

Takato shrugged, 'Terriermon knows where they are, but right now he needs to rest. He's been through a lot and needs to rest." Rika nodded understandingly, but clearly not satisfied with the answer.

Kenta meekly spoke up. "Are they okay? Their not injured are they?"

"Physically, they're all fine, if not a little banged up" Henry stated. "It's their mental state I'm worried about. Terriermon tried to hide it, but he seemed pretty shaken up about something."

"I'm fine" piped up a little voice. Henry looked down to see Terriermon awake. "I know how badly you guys want to see everyone, and I also know how badly they want to see you guys. So lets stop all the waterworks and go see them already."

"Terriermon" Henry replied affectionately. He began to follow the Digimon's instructions, being swiftly followed by everyone else.

Besides for an occasional direction from Terriermon, the silence that followed the Tamers seemed unnatural. Everyone was in his, or her, own thoughts, trying to think of what to say. Out of instinct, Takato stole a look at Jeri. She didn't look as excited, nor as anxious, as everyone else was. "Jeri," he whispered. She glanced up. "Are you feeling okay?"

Jeri opened her mouth as if to say she were fine, only to shake her head. "I don't know how to feel. I want to see all the Digimon again, but not seeing Leomon among them, I can't help but feel lonely." She gazed at the ground, as her feet seemed very interesting at the moment.

Takato desperately tried to think of something to say, however, nothing came to mind. "Jeri, you are ne- oof" Without word, Ryo, the person in front of Takato, had stopped. "What's going on?" asked Takato. Without a word, Ryo politely stepped aside, not taking his eyes off the scene before him, his expression looking sad.

Tears. Not a single Digimon was without them. These were not tears of happiness however, as Takato soon came to realize. They were quite the opposite. Some were shed silently, others were trickling off of faces as they splattered to the ground. Every single Digimon, still in their In-Training form, except for Guilmon, strange enough as he was in his Rookie form, were trying to console one pitiful, dejected,creature. Renamon. The poor In-Training Digimon was weeping uncontrollably. She occasionally let out a forlorn wail to release some of the sorrow within her.

Rika's horrified expression quickly morphed into a sympathetic one. She entered the ring of Digimon and crouched right in front of her partner. "Renamon," she called soothingly.

The mess of a Digimon looked up. "Rika!" she wailed. She ran into her Tamer's arms, releasing another wave of tears. Her sobs were now muffled, but they seemed to intensify.

Takato felt grim. If Renamon was this shaken up, and all the other Digimon were crying this hard, something terrible had happened in the Digital World. He did a head count, everyone he knew was there. He sighed in relief, at least no one else had been lost. He was extremely happy to see Guilmon, somehow still in his Rookie form. However, the normally happy dinosaur let loose a mournful moan. "What's wrong boy? What happened?"

Guilmon simply shook his head. "I don't wanna talk right now. Renamon is sad. And now I'm sad." He glanced at the ground, and shut his eyes, almost as if he were trying to shut the world out. Takato glanced at the other Tamers, seeing if they were having any better luck with their Digimon.

Ryo sat on the ground next to his partner. He seemed unsure of what to do or say, as his partner, Cyberdramon, was normally a fighting machine, devoid of all emotion. Now, here it was, a frightened, crying, tiny purple ball, wailing its little heart out.

Susie hugged Lopmon into her chest, murmuring the occasional "It's okay Lopmon." Lopmon appeared to be paralyzed, as if her mind were in a completely different world. She stood stone still as Susie attempted to console her.

Impmon stood in the grass, crying, but looking very angry as well. Ai and Mako were hugging him, which seemed to help, but that still didn't stop the imp from crying his tears of rage. "It shouldn't have been him." Then he began to mumble unintelligibly.

MarineAngemon seemed to be singing a song. It sound quite beautiful, but it also sound sad. Guardromon translated it. "It, it is a song." The next words were hard for him to speak. "For the fallen."

Takato could hear the rest of the Tamers gasp. Someone… had…. had died? Who? He tried to rack his brain. Babamon and Jijimon? The Geckomon? None of the Digimon clearly wanted to talk about it, so he kept his mouth shut. Takato walked over to Guilmon and gripped him into an embrace, the one he had been waiting for, for two long years. Guilmon happily hugged him back, crying into his shoulder. All Takato could do was hold onto Guilmon, and try to comfort him, as the sad dinosaur cried. MarineAngemon continued to sing, as the sunlight began to fade into the darkness.

It was then that Takato saw two Digimon he had never seen looked like a kind of cartoonish dog. It was yellow with blue ears. A blue D was emblazoned on its chest like that of a second Digimon looked like a beautiful swan. With a graceful long neck, the white and purple feathers looked like a petticoat. An elegant choker with two golden wings was worn on the slender neck. A dainty head and a narrow beak made the Digimon look like a fashion model.

Takato stepped protectively in front of Guilmon, none of the Digimon were in any sort of condition to fight. It was then that Guilmon spoke up. "No Takato. They are friends." Takato nodded, stepping down. As he looked at them, he realized that they had been asleep.

"What are we going to do with those two then?" he asked, gesturing to the two mysterious Digimon. The other Tamers saw what he was gesturing at.

"Do they belong to anyone?" asked Henry. He gazed thoughtfully at them as he continued to stroke Terriermon.

Lopmon, finally rejoining the land of the living, decided to speak. "They do not belong to anyone, however, it was them who helped us get home. Without them, we would have perished long ago." she paused, before continuing unexpectedly. "They were his friends. They had awoken earlier, heartbroken to know that." It took a moment before Lopmon was ready to say the the next part. " to know that he was gone."

"Who is he?" asked Jeri gently.

Jeri was the most experienced with loss, she should be able to help console everyone. thought Takato. He didn't say it, but he was also curious what sort of Digimon "He" was.

At the mention of "He", this bought a fresh wave of sobs to Renamon, who had just begun to calm down. Rika scowled at everyone. " We best not talk about it. As for now, I need to take Renamon home. She needs time alone." And with that, Rika walked off, attempting to console her partner.

Following her cue, many of the other Tamers went home, leaving just Henry, Susie, Takato, and Ryo. "What are we going to do with the Digimon?" Ryo asked, gesturing his head to the two slumbering Digimon. "It just doesn't seem right to leave them here."

Henry nodded. "Of course we're not going to leave them. Considering my family, I'll be able to take one of them with me. I would take both, but it would be a bit too chaotic and crowded."

Before he could speak another word, Susie raced over to the bird Digimon. "I wanna take this one home Henry! She looks soo cute! Can we please?" she asked as she gushed over it.

Henry shook his head defeatedly. "I guess I know which one I'm picking then." He handed Susie Terriermon whom was fast asleep. "Don't wake him." he said quietly. "I'll carry the bird. I only wish we are our D-Powers, so we can analyze them. Not knowing who they are is frustrating." Hefting the bird Digimon onto his shoulders, Henry began to walk home with Susie. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then,"

Ryo glanced at Takato apologetically. "Sorry Takato, but my dad will already be mad for bringing Cyberdramon home." He stooped over and picked up his slumbering partner who had fallen asleep as well. "Gotta go, bye" he said, as he also began to walk home.

Takato sighed, "Well boy, I guess you have a friend now." He looked over to find Guilmon only half awake. Seeing his partner, an idea formed in his mind. Opening his backpack, he pulled a slightly squashed paper bag out. "Here, it's a little squished, but it should help motivate you to come home."

Guilmon sleepily put his head in the bag, and sniffed. Mere seconds later pulled his head out, chewing frantically. His eyes widened as he stared at Takato. "Guilmon bread?!" he asked excitedly.

Takato nodded, pleased his Digimon was happy. "There'll be more at the shop, but I need your help to get him home," he asked, gesturing to the sleeping dog.

"Okie Dokie!" Guilmon grabbed the Digimon and put it on his back, still looking for more bread in the bag. Takato had forgotten how strong his Digimon was, astounding him with his strength.

Takato and Guilmon happily walked home, talking about different types of bread the Guilmon wanted to eat. As they approached the shop entrance, Takato's mom stormed out, once her son was in view. "Takato! How many times have I told you to come back before it gets dark?" she scolded.

Takato was too happy to care about being yelled at. "But mom! He's back" It was then that saw what her son was talking about.

"Guilmon?" she asked, dumbfounded. A smile spread across her face. "Your home! That's all that matters. To both of you." As she heard this, she heard a peculiar noise.

Guilmon looked at Mrs. Matsuki with pleading eyes. "Can I have a Guilmon bread? I want to eat a loaf shaped like my head!"

His mom gave a laugh. "Of course. I'll have my husband make you plenty." She turned to her son, a sly smile on her face. "Is there anything you wanted, honey?"

Takato glanced at Guilmon, his own smile plastered onto his face, "I already have everything I wanted." It was then he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Actually, you see that Digimon on Guilmon's back? Well, he's a nice Digimon, but he has no where to go. I was hoping we could keep him here for a bit."

Mrs. Matsuki looked the Digimon over. "He doesn't look so good. Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Takato glanced at Guilmon who was stuffing his face with bread. " He recently lost someone close to him. I don't know who, or how it happened, all I know is that it affected everyone."

For a split second, Mrs. Matsuki's face became an expression that Takato had never seen before. He blinked, and she was back to normal, he must have imagined it. She smiled and agreed to allow the strange Digimon to stay.

It was only then, that Takato realized how tired he was. It had been a very exciting day, what with getting their partners back. Entering the shop, he waved to his dad, and trudged upstairs to his room. Despite two years, his room had stayed the way it was, a few new drawings here and there. Stripping down, Takato threw on a pair of blue pajamas, got into bed, and happily began to drift into his dreams. His last conscious thought was that he only hoped Guilmon would be here in the morning, that it hadn't been a dream. And thus, darkness consumed him.


	2. Chapter 2

Rika and Renamon, sat side by side, both sitting cross legged in deep meditation. The companionable silence put Rika at ease, helping her relax as she cleared her mind. Renamon too, seemed at peace. She was no longer the frail Digimon Rika had been trying to console. She had regained her status as always being calm, cool, and collected.

Rika opened her eyes, scanning her backyard for something amiss. Beside her, Rika could feel her partner tense up. "You have sensed it too?" Rika nodded. Renamon stood up, also scanning the landscape. Her eyes darted to her left. Renamon, using her incredibly fast reflexes, charged into Rika, and pushed her to the ground. A second later, in the spot she had just been in, an enormous black hand slammed into the ground. Rika dared to look up at her attacker.

It's dark figure dominated the sky, being very massive and muscular. The creature's two legs were quite stubby but thin, and curled upwards where the toes would be. It's arms however where very long, almost hiding the two stunted wings on its back. On its chest was oddly enough,rather through its chest, a large heart shaped hole, Rika could literally see right through it. Rika tried to discern what the head looked like, but it was covered in a mass of tentacles. Only its two menacing yellow eyes were visible.

"What kind of Digimon is that?" she asked. Renamon shook her head, not knowing the answer. The large beast gave a bellow, enraged at having missed it's target. "if it's a fight it wants, its a fight it's going to get." She pulled out a card and slid it in her D-Power. "Digi-modify!" She flipped the card. "Digivolution activate!"

Renamon began to glow an intense light, radiating energy. "Renamon digivolve to!" Renamon got onto her hands and feet as she became quadrupedal. Her single tail grew in length, as well as in numbers, stopping at nine. The ends of her tails, and her paws became enveloped in a mystical blue flame. Her head and neck grew a beautiful white mane, matching perfectly with the Ying/Yang symbols marking her body. "Kyubimon!"

Kyubimon rushed in towards the unknown enemy, her tail's luminescence increasing. "Fox Tail Inferno!" Numerous fire balls launched, peppering the enemy with fire. Smoke cleared, yet the enemy was still standing, unfazed.

Rika stared at it with disbelief, "It didn't even flinch!" The monstrosity reached out towards Rika, slowly lumbering towards her.

Kyubimon stood protectively in front of Rika. "You will not harm her." She jumped into the air, spinning very fast. Her body began to erupt into an inferno, becoming a massive blue fire ball. Kyubimon launched herself, "Dragon Wheel!"

Her target didn't even hit its mark. The creature decided it was done playing around and retaliated. It lifted an arm and swatted Kyubimon. She flew like a sack of potatoes, landing into a sidewalk, creating a crater. Out of energy, she reverted back to Renamon. Renamon then closed her eyes, falling unconscious.

Rika looked on, horrified. "Renamon!" She attempted to run towards her partner, only to be stopped. The creature's inky black hand had wrapped itself around her waist. Rika attempted to squirm free, but its grip was too strong. She was hoisted into the air, brought directly to the front of the creature's face. It glared at her with menacing unblinking tentacles wrapped on its head slowly began to uncurl, reaching toward Rika. Where were her friends when she needed them most?

Rika's eyes flew open as she bolted into a sitting position. The covers flew off her and onto the ground. She stared into the distance, breathing heavily, beads of sweat dripping off her face. It was a dream? But it seemed so real. Rika took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself.

Renamon was leaning against her wall when she looked up. "I heard your heartbeat increase. Are you alright?" she asked, looking genuinely concerned.

Rika nodded. "It was just a bad dream, no big deal." she muttered.

Renamon turned to leave, only to stop and look backwards. Her face looked conflicted as she debated on what to do."Would you like to talk about it?" she asked slowly.

Rika shook her head. The last thing she needed was to look weak in front of her traumatized Digimon. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" Rika had asked many times about what had happened to her Digimon in the Digital World, however, Renamon had not been able to speak. Just the mention of it caused her to shake.

Renamon paused, caught off guard by the question. Rika could tell her partner was attempting to choose her words carefully. " I only wish to remain with you. I have lost a valuable friend already. If I were to lose you, I do not know if I could forgive myself. We have only been reunited for five days, but I am grateful to be by your side again. I am also glad to be back to normal. Being so weak, unable to do anything, it infuriated me to sit on the sidelines." she looked down. " If I were this strong,back then, perhaps he would still be alive."

Rika knew she was on delicate territory, this was the most Renamon has said since her return. " This was… your friend?" she asked tentatively.

Renamon was about to reply, however, she was interrupted by an insistent beeping. Rika looked at her nightstand, her D-Power making the sound. "A Digimon!"

"Let us see what it is then." Renamon began to run, disappearing with an incredible amount of speed. Rika followed, grabbing her bike, pedaling out into the night.

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Henry shuddered as the swirling fog shrouded his body. Terriermon was on his head, making his ears feel warm. "Where is it?" He glanced at his D-Power. This is definitely a gate, but where's the Digimon?

Terriermon gave a sigh. "How long are we going to be out here? It's freezing!" he insisted. Suddenly, he looked to the right. "I don't know about the Digimon, but Takato and Ryo are here. I hope they brought some snacks, I'm starving!"

Henry shook his head. "Terriermon…" he sighed, walking to his friends. "I scanned the area, but I can't find the Digimon. It's as if it never came."

Ryo frowned. "It just has to be here. Monodramon said he picked up a scent." He looked at his partner who continued to sniff the air, Guilmon joining him.

"I didn't realize Monodramon's nose was that powerful." said Takato. As he looked around, Guilmon's ears pricked up. "What's wrong boy?"

Guilmon turned around. "I heard something. It sounds like breakfast!" he exclaimed , confusing Takato. Guilmon ran deeper into the fog.

"Guilmon! This isn't the time to be thinking about food!" Takato ran after him, attempting to keep up.

Henry started after him, only to be stopped by Ryo. "He'll be back. C'mon, let's get back to looking for that Digimon. We need to find it before it causes people to panic."

Henry nodded. "After two years, I'm glad everyone came home. This may not be the safest of hobbies, but I missed it."

Terriermon's eyes popped out. "We've been gone for two years!"

Henry smiled. "You forgot that time was different in the Digital World didn't you? How long did you think you were gone?"

Terriermon instantly smiled right back. "Momentai! If we've been gone for two years, that means I missed two years of Princess Pretty Pants. That's one thing I don't mind missing."

Henry was about to reply with a witty remark, but he was interrupted by a breathless Takato. "You guys are gonna want to see this." he panted. With that, he rushed back into the fog, tailed by Ryo and Henry.

They eventually stopped behind Guilmon, whom was looking at something very curiously. "Takato, it's moving!" Seeing the others, he stepped away, revealing what appeared to be an eggshell. Inside half of it was a small squirming organism. It was a simple white ball shaped Digimon with small blue wings protruding from its back. It gazed at the Tamers and Digimon with fearful eyes.

Henry gasped. "Is that a baby Digimon?" He gazed at the eggshell remains the Digimon had emerged from. The egg itself was covered in simple blue spots, but that wasn't what caught his eye. It was a large purple X that seemed to signify something. "Anyone know what this means?" he asked, pointing to it.

Ryo shook his head. "I don't have a clue. What do you suppose brought it here in the first place though? If it was an egg, then coming here couldn't have been intentional." Guilmon attempted to sniff it, managing to make contact.

Takato had a thoughtful look on his face. "Do you think, maybe." he paused, collecting himself. "Maybe it's for Jeri? She's still a Tamer, and she does need a Digimon."

Henry's gaze turned to Takato, turning sympathetic. One day, he'll be able to talk to Jeri. He just needs time. Henry sharpened his mind, attempting to think. "Perhaps. Although, it could be just sheer luck. I mean, look at Leomon. He wasn't Jeri's partner originally. It took time for their bond to form, allowing them to become partners. I'm not sure how she'll react to getting a new Digimon."

Terriermon scrambled down from Henry's head and jumped onto Guilmon. "What are we gonna do with it?" Henry shivered as the chill reached his ears.

Ryo scratched the top of his head, "It looks pretty harmless. Then again, appearances can be deceiving" He looked at Monodramon with a knowing look in his eye. "Maybe we should take it to Jeri like Takato suggested. Her D-Power might react to it."

Takato was about to reply, but he was interrupted by a swift figure, jumping over him. Henry squinted against the fog, attempting to see what it was, but was relieved to see a beautiful blue flame break the fog.

Rika and Kyubimon walked side by side as they approached the other Tamers. Ryo greeted her. "Hey Wildcat, fancy meeting you here."

Rika glared in his direction. "Can it, I'm not in the mood." She spun around, fiercely looking for their opponent. "Did you already send it running?"

Takato shook his head. " There was never a Digimon. Or, at least one that wanted to hurt us anyway."

Rika raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. " Anyone else making sense of what Gogglehead is saying?"

Ryo smirked. "He means we found a baby Digimon. Newly hatched as well. We were debating what to do with it when you showed up."

Rika rolled her eyes. "Another stray Digimon?!" she scoffed. "What are we, a Digimon daycare? All we're missing is snack time."

Guilmon looked at Rika with his puppy eyes. "I don't miss snack time. I love snack time!" he giggled before returning to playing with the newborn Digimon.

Rika sighed. "What digimon are we dealing with anyway?" Her fellow Tamers shrugged, unsure. "You mean to tell me that you guys have done nothing productive?!" Rika yelled. "Surrounded by idiots" she muttered, aiming her D-Power at the infant monster. The device hummed mechanically as it searched through its archives for the Digimon. "I'm not getting anything. This thing is a piece of junk!" Rika cried, gripping her D-Power fiercely.

Henry stifled a yawn, rubbing his eyes. "Whatever we do, we should do it quickly. We have school in a few hours."

Takato's head snapped up. "School doesn't start until tomorrow. We have plenty of time."

Ryo shook his head. "Actually right now it's 3 am. The sun will be up in a few hours. That'll bring early risers and teachers with it. I agree with Henry, we need to get this Digimon off the streets before people see it."

Takato looked at his shoes. "Aw nuts. I was hoping to get a few more hours of sleep. Guilmon snores like a bulldozer." He gazed at his partner in a teasing way.

The red dinosaur looked up from the baby digimon. "Well Takato pushes me around when he's sleeping. I keep falling onto the floor."

Rika still glaring at her D-Power, stuffed it into her pocket angrily. "What do we do with it?" she demanded. " None of us can take it home, and we can't leave it here."

Renamon crouched down, picking up the Digimon. " I shall take it to Guilmon's hut. While you are at school, I will watch it. We will think of a solution at a later time." Before anyone can argue, she used her incredible speed, disappearing into the night.

The Tamers bid each other goodnight and left in their separate directions. Henry pedaled home on his bike brusquely as Terriermon held onto his head for dear life. Stopping in the parking lot beneath his apartment, Henry chained his bike and took the stairs up to his home. He silently went through the front door, feeling his way through the dark household. Entering his room, he flopped onto his bed.

"Henry?" mumbled his partner sleepily. The Digimon was curling up on his chest, eyes closed.

"Yeah?"

"I missed you."

Henry smiled. The past five days had been wonderful. Since Terriermon and Lopmon had returned, his family had been in high spirits. Now that his older brother Rinchei was in college, the household was much quieter. That had changed quickly however, now that Suzie was running around the house, playing with Lopmon. The Swanmon, named Donald apparently, was living in his brother's room. Suzie had been very disappointed to learn that it was a he, not a she. Donald never left the room. Henry supposed that whatever had happened in the Digital World had shaken the poor Digimon up. Terriermon as well, still hadn't spoken. Henry didn't want to pressure his Digimon into talking about something he didn't want to, so he left the subject alone. "I missed you too Terriermon."

Closing his eyes, Henry attempted to get his three hours of necessary sleep. Tomorrow was a big day, you only start high school once.

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Takato cracked his eyelids open slowly. sunlight flooded the room, causing him to squint. he rubbed his eyes, attempting to wake up. A loud rustling heightened his senses, causing him to look around his room. He spotted Doggymon, shuffling some papers on his desk. " Oh" His body relaxed, glad there wasn't an intruder. " Hey Doggymon."

The Doggymon gave a small wave as it continued to rearrange the room. When his mother had allowed for the Digimon to stay, she had not known it would help around the house. Doggymon was a great help; doing dishes, dusting the house, and even baking bread with his dad. Since it had nowhere to stay, the poor thing had to sleep on the floor with nothing but a blanket and a pillow. Despite this, the Digimon still helped out, desperate to work. Takato had a feeling this was because of whatever happened in the Digital World. Guilmon still had not spoken about the events that had happened. Takato was dying to know, worried for his friends there, but felt too self conscious to ask.

Takato gave his arms a good stretch as he sat up in bed. Doggymon waved it paw in front of his face to urgently get his attention. "What's wrong Doggymon? Do you need something?" The Digimon pointed at his nightstand with a jabbing paw. Takato looked and saw the alarm clock he had gotten for his birthday.

8:06 am

Takato's jaw dropped. He bolted out of bed, rushing to the bathroom. "Aw nuts! I only have twenty minutes! Thanks Doggymon!" As Takato opened the door, he tripped, falling onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Sounds like someone decided to join the land of the living" he heard his mom chuckle from downstairs. Takato gave a groan, she was enjoying this way too much.

Finishing his proper hygiene ritual, he returned to his room to find some clothes folded on his bed. Doggymon must have put them there. Smiling, Takato threw them on, grateful to the silent Digimon.

Making his way down the stairs, he went into the kitchen, passing his busy father. "Morning dad!" he exclaimed, quickly. The flour covered man that was his father kept his eyes trained on the dough as he continued to knead it.

"Late again, son?"

Takato gave a nervous chuckle. " I'm not going to be late dad, just not as early as I should be." Before the conversation could continue, his mom walked into the kitchen with an empty tray.

"Well mister, you should be on your way to school, not sitting here wasting the day away. I put your lunch on the counter." She turned towards her husband. "Honey, we're out of creampuffs again. Can you make a few batches?"

Her husband gave her a smile. "Sure thing, just let me put these biscuits into the oven." Feeling short on time, Takato deserted the kitchen and went to the counter, grabbing his lunch. As he walked towards the front door, he saw Guilmon, carrying trays of half eaten food back and forth.

"Bye boy! I'll see you after school!" His partner gave him a small wave before going into the kitchen, depositing his load. Guilmon? The Digimon was being oddly quiet today. Takato would have loved to stay and make sure he was okay, but he really needed to go to school. He hurriedly got on his bike and pedaled as fast as he could, attempting to not crash into any buildings.

Please don't ring, please don't ring, he chanted, as the school came into view. Lucky for him, he managed to park his bike, walk into the building, and find himself outside his assigned room before the bell even chimed. Takato walked in, taking in the surrounding room.

Thirty six desks all lined in order filled the motivational posters coated the walls, brightening the room. Large windows showed the beautiful outside landscape, where Takato would much rather be. He scanned the room, looking for the familiar faces of friends. Eventually, he spotted Henry, Jeri, and Kenta chatting in a corner. Giving them a wave, he sauntered up, pulled over a chair, and sat down next to Henry.

"Digimon attack?" Asked Henry smiling.

Takato smiled sheepishly. "I kinda woke up late. Had to rush out of the door."

Jeri gave a small giggle. "We've all overslept at least once." She looked around nervously. "Who do you think our teacher will be?"

Kenta meekly gave his opinion. " I hope its someone nice. I finally have a class away from Kazu for once. Now I can finally get some work done." He smirked as he envisioned his Kazu free days.

As the final bell rang, Takato slouched in his seat, breathing a sigh of relief. "Glad I got here in time. I don't want to get on our teacher's bad side on our first day."

Jeri smiled. "When we had , you were always late. It's nice to see that changing." she looked away. "Like a lot of things lately." she muttered, looking at the floor.

Takato looked at Jeri longingly. He wished he could take all of her pain away. She was clearly still upset over everyone having their Digimon back and not having Leomon. Takato would have loved to tell Jeri how he really felt, however, after the D-Reaper incident, his confidence had diminished. He could no longer look her in the eye, only from afar.

Henry caught Takato staring at her and gave him a sympathetic look. Takato simply nodded his head before going back to his thoughts. Henry would always be there for him, Takato knew that. And Takato would always be there for him. When Terriermon had disappeared, Takato had been there, bringing Henry pictures and bread in the shape of the hyperactive bunny. When Takato had broken down at the park one day, Henry had arrived, not judging Takato for being weak, nor being patronizing. Henry had simply sat down next to him, stared at the clouds, and commented on the weather. It was Henry's open mindedness that Takato truly admired about his friend.

A sudden tapping of heels interrupted his pondering mind. The pattern they walked in, it sounded familiar. His mind reeled in horror. No, it couldn't be. His suspicions were correct when the classroom door opened, an elegant shadow walking in. Oh no. It's her.

"Good morning class, my name is Mrs. Asagi, and I will be your teacher for the year. Some of you, I had previously. I am happy to see your faces again." Mrs. Asagi walked to her desk and wrote her name on the chalkboard.

Takato exchanged a horrified glance with Kenta. Mrs. Asagi was a nice enough person, but as a teacher, she was pretty strict.

Mrs. Asagi, for the rest of the day, continued to give various speeches on how to tap into a person's true potential. Takato stifled a groan, this was his mother every other day of the week. As the final bell rang, sat in front of the door, between him, and freedom. "Now class, for your homework tonight, I expect a seven page essay on the value of hard work. It will be due tomorrow." She gave her students a smile. " Have a nice day!" And with that, she walked to her desk, allowing the kids to go free.

All the enthusiastic kids fled the room, many well on their way home. Only Jeri, Kenta, and Takato lingered behind, slowly packing their belongings. Once they finished, they slowly walked to her desk, Jeri smiling, Kenta shuffling, and Takato thinking. Jeri broke the ice. "It's nice to see you again, !"

Mrs. Asagi looked up from her papers, a smile plastered to her face. "Jeri! You've certainly grown into a beautiful young woman over the years! And Takato and Kenta, you two are dashing gentlemen!"

The "dashing young man" was surprised. Mrs. Asagi sure has mellowed out in the past two years. Maybe she isn't so bad… An insistent ringing echoed from the desk. I can't think straight today with all these interruptions.

"I'm sorry, that should be off." Mrs. Asagi grabbed her phone and looked at the screen. Her happy smile was replaced by a worried scowl. "I need to take this." And with that, their teacher rushed out of the room, heels clicking rapidly against the wooden floor.

Kenta looked into the empty doorway. "I hope she's okay," he said, speaking his thoughts aloud.

Takato gave a wave of his hand. "Mrs. Asagi will be fine. It's not like she has to deal with crazy stuff like us. I bet her emergency has to deal with a kid forgetting his homework or something."

"I don't know. looked pretty worried." voiced Jeri. The shy girl gripped the edges of her backpack nervously. "Do we wanna go to the park? Everyone should be there by now."

"Aww, I have to go see Kazu again? I was just starting to get used to these brain cells." Kenta gave a sigh. "Let's go." And with that, they left the school building.

It wasn't until they nearly got to the park before Takato saw something. Just from the corner of his eye, he saw something that made him confused. "Guilmon!" he called to the Digimon.

Guilmon paid him no heed, running straight past the Tamers. Takato sat there, stunned momentarily. What's wrong? He shook his head, getting back into gear. "We need to follow him." he exclaimed. Jeri and Kenta nodded, following his lead.

Guilmon was running towards the park, swiftly and soundlessly. Takato had a bad feeling it was to do with the Digimon Renamon had grabbed last night. As they were coming up to Guilmon's hut, Takato could hear the sound of Gargomon's Gargo Lasers, as well as the beating of wings.

Finally arriving on scene, Takato caught himself in the middle of a battle. One side consisted of Gargomon defending an injured Kyubimon. The other was a rampant Digimon.

The Digimon looked a lot like a bee. The first details that caught his eye were its golden and brown stripes. It's massive lower half consisted of a giant bulb. Many spikes protruded from it, as well as a menacing looking stinger. Its tiny torso connected its head, as well as its powerful buzzing wings. It was currently battling Cyberdramon, flying back and forth as it hurled itself at the dragon Digimon.

Cyberdramon growled, attempting to slash as the enemy Digimon. "Desolation Claw!" he rasped, clawing at it.

None of his attacks hit, as the bee Digimon effortlessly evaded them. The tip of its massive stinger began to glow a neon green. "Turbo Stinger!" it yelled, firing a volley of green energy bolts. Unlike Cyberdramon's attempt, every single bolt hit their target. The damaged dragon spiraled towards the ground, his wing damaged.

Ryo ran towards his Digimon. "Cyberdramon!" He attempted to help the Ultimate off the ground, only to be swatted gently by his partner, who preferred to pick himself off the ground.

"This Digimon." Cyberdramon spoke unexpectedly. " It has much strength."

Takato ran near his friends as Gargomon continued to fire at the insectoid. "Why don't we Biomerge? I've tried scanning it with my Digivice, but I'm still getting nothing."

Ryo stared intently on the raging Digimon, his gaze unwavering. "The power to Biomerge comes from the Sovereign themselves. Something seems to have happened to them, so we can't," he answered grimly.

Takato reached into his pocket and pulled out his golden Digivice, feeling determined. I have to help them! "Guilmon, you ready?" His partner nodded, giving a fierce, feral growl. Takato grabbed at his cards, searching until he found the right one. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution activate!"

"Guilmon digivolve to!" The red Digimon began to grow rapidly, tripling in size. A white mane sprouted, along with a pair of stubby horns. Various black markings appeared upon his body, adding a splash of color. "Growlmon!"

The newly Digivolved Champion rushed forth, gathering energy. "Pyro-Blaster!" The red laser made contact, hitting the tip of an upper wing.

The enemy Digimon began to wobble, losing a bit of altitude. It managed to recover, however, as Takato noticed, it was moving slower. He pictured Cyberdramon spiraling to the ground, collapsing. "Aim for its wings!" Takato cried. "We can ground it!"

Henry nodded. "You know what to do Gargomon!"

The hyperactive bunny shifted his arms, targeting the rapid wings. "Right!" he shouted. He began to fire, renewed by the goal. "Gargo Lasers!"

His bullets pelted through the air, most of them passing harmlessly. A few of them managed to graze the already damaged wing, sustaining more wounds.

Just as Takato had hoped, the Digimon had begun to spiral downwards, as Cyberdramon did moments before.

Before it hit the ground, Cyberdramon tackled it, letting loose a savage howl. He began to scratch it with his sharp claws, giving into his rage.

Ryo could do nothing but watch in horror. "Cyberdramon! Stop this! He is not the enemy you're looking for!" he cried desperately. His partner paid him no heed, continuing with his onslaught of attacks.

"Growlmon! Stop Cyberdramon!" Takato ordered, desperate to stop the slaughter. Cyberdramon's gone too far!

The titanic red reptile tackled Cyberdramon, attempting to pin him to the ground. Gargomon also joined in, adding his weight to the pile. The Ultimate Digimon threw the two Champions off as though they weighed nothing, stubbornly trying to return to his prey.

However, the damaged Champion Digimon had disappeared. The only trace of it that remained was a black looking void.

Henry gazed at it suspiciously. "What is that?" he asked uncertainly.

Rika finally made an appearance, followed by a worn out Renamon. "Do we want to know? That one Digimon nearly hammered all of our Digimon. If we can't Bio-Merge, we can't get as strong as we used to be."

Henry nodded. "For all we know, that could be where it came from. It looks a lot like a portal to the Digital World. Who knows how much has changed since we left?"

Kenta appeared, having been hiding in a pair of bushes. "So should we just go home then? I know I have a lot of work, especially from Mrs. Asagi."

"And where was your Digimon!?" Rika grumbled loudly. " We really could have used some healing!" Shr shouted, gesturing to Cyberdramon and Renamon.

He's at home!" Kenta said defensively. Then he bowed his head in shame. "Probably watching cartoons again."

Rika sighed in disgust. "I can't believe you!"

Henry gave a small smile. "Don't worry Kenta, if Rika's mad at you, imagine how mad she'll be at Kazu."

Rika snarled, "Don't even start with him! When I find him, he's gonna wish he had showed up when he did!"

All the Tamers gave a small laugh, some of the tension having lifted. Cyberdramon simply growled as he leaned against a tree, distancing himself from the humans and Digimon. Takato remembered that he too had a large amount of homework to complete.

Takato looked up at Growlmon expectantly. "C'mon Guilmon, why don't we go home, we can eat a snack, finish my homework, and explain to my mom why we were late." It was then he realized his Digimon wasn't listening to him.

Growlmon gave a low growl. Cyberdramon as well, rose from his tree giving a vicious snarl. "Something is coming," The red Digimon warned.

All eyes gazed at the dark gate cautiously. A large mass began to emerge from the inky void. It dwarfed Growlmon, being thrice his size. The bubble of darkness broke, revealing the purple hide of a massive creature. Twin tusks guarded the face of the hoofed monstrosity. A large needle-like horn on the top of its head, the creature bored into the souls of the Tamers with its menacing yellow eyes. Emblazoned upon its chest was a large crossed out black heart, signifying some sort of cruel fate.

Gargomon gave a tired and defeated sigh. "We can't ever catch a break can we?"

Takato gazed worriedly at Growlmon. His Champion hadn't expended that much energy fighting the previous Digimon. But there was something about this new one that gave him a bad feeling. Something… dark.

Ryo held up his D-Power. "I can't get any data on it. We are finding way too many unknown Digimon these days."

Cyberdramon, not waiting for an invitation, leapt straight on to the unknown foe. "Desolation Claw!" He exclaimed, letting loose numerous slices with his powerful claws.

The great beast didn't react in the slightest. As Cyberdramon hacked harmlessly at its hide, the creature began to growl, apparently growing impatient. Raising its tusked head to the sky, it gave a deafening roar, causing the Tamers to cover their ears. Almost as impossible as it sounds, lightning began to rain from the sky, striking the Digimon numerous times.

Takato ran to Growlmon, fearing for the worst. Black char coated the dinosaurs thick reptilian skin, showing where the bolts hit. "Takato, you have to leave," the injured Digimon choked out, clearly in pain.

The Tamer could feel tears beginning to drop from his face. "I'm not leaving you." he whispered. Takato began to stroke his Digimon's hand, attempt to comfort not only his friend, but himself.

The purple monster gave another roar, sounding triumphant. Takato gazed helplessly at the sky, hope draining rapidly. Jeri sat at the entrance to the park, frozen in fear. His fellow Tamers sat with their Digimon, as though preparing for the end. There was no way they could fight back. This, this was the end.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Peoples! I'm so proud of myself! Two chapters in two days! I'm just warning you guys though, I can feel my creative juices running dry, so the next chapter will take a while. Until then, leave your thoughts on the story so far in a review. I'm just saying, this story is far from over.**

"Guardian Barrage!" Multiple missiles impacted against the monster's face, a cloud of smoke appearing. Kazu, sitting atop Guardromon's back smirked confidently. "Were you guys waiting on me? Because I totally creamed that Digi-"

Henry interrupted him. "Kazu look out!" he warned. The beast lumbered forward, swinging at the mechanical robot with an oversized tusk.

Kazu shielded his face with an upraised arm. "Ohhh man!" he exclaimed nervously. At the last second, just as the tusk was about to make contact, a bubble formed around Guardromon, a heart shaped bubble.

Coming from behind Guardromon, out from Kazu's pocket, came MarineAngemon. The undersized Mega closed its eyes in concentration as it held back the tusk with the seemingly fragile bubble.

Kenta gave a jubilant whoop. "I knew you would come here!" It was then that he noticed that there was a large brown smear all across his Partner's face. "MarineAngemon, what happened to you face?"

Kazu looked into his pocket and pulled out a pile of wrappers. "Oh come on! You stole my chocolate! I was saving that for later!" he whined.

Ryo cleared his throat. " Is this really the time for that?" He glanced around the battlefield, his eyes resting on an injured Kyubimon, Rika attempting to comfort her. For one of the few times in her life however, Rika looked scared. "We need to get out of here!"

Kazu, being berated by his idol gave a sheepish grin. "Oh yeah, kind of forgot." The gargantuan titan having been unable to break the bubble turned its focus towards some of the more stationary Tamers.

Breaking its former bubble, MarineAngemon spread its arms. "Kahuna Wave!" it exclaimed in a high pitched voice. Showers of small heart shaped bubbles enveloped the Digimon, shining a bright light when making contact. The numerous injuries everyone had accumulated disappeared. Cyberdramon flapped his new wing reflexively, letting out a howl of rage.

Ryo could sense his partner demanded satisfaction, and for once, he entirely agreed. Ryo gripped his Digivice, holding a card he only used for emergencies. "Digi-Modify" he exclaimed, flipping the card. "Goliath Activate!"

Cyberdramon roared, his body quadrupling in size as his power increased. Renewed, his Digimon Partner flew into battle, being the first to hit the beast head on. Following in his wake were the rest of the Champions, attacking with a new vigor.

Their "Victim" simply roared again, striking them down a with storm of lightning bolts. Ryo had to cover his eyes as a flash of light enveloped the park. When he reopened his eyes, he wished he hadn't. The Digimon lay strewn across the blackened ground as though they were ragdolls. Ryo ran to Cyberdramon, for once scared for his Partner's life.

The Ultimate gave a low groan, still willing to fight, but unable to. Ryo could feel tears in his eyes. "You have to stop, this isn't a battle you can win." Ryo felt so useless, he knew none of his cards could help in this situation. Not even Goliath was able to take down this monster. _If only we could Bio-Merge. _

Near Ryo, was Takato, attempting to carry Guilmon who had reverted back to his Rookie form. "We need to get them out of here," he whispered. "I can't lose him again. Not now."

Ryo managed to get Cyberdramon's arm over his head, his partner resisting weakly. He thrashed around, attempting to get up and keep fighting. "Cyberdramon," Ryo said sternly. "You have to trust me, you're in no shape to fight."

The purple monstrosity, seeing movement, began to roar. It rose a hoof, getting ready to kick Cyberdramon. The wounded Ultimate snarled, unwilling to back down. He pushed Ryo away, attempting to keep him safe.

Ryo couldn't believe what was happening. "Cyberdramon!" he cried running towards his Partner. However, the Ultimate had pushed him too far, he wouldn't reach him in time.

Jeri yelled, knowing what would happen, the same thing with what happened to her. "Nooo!" Ryo was about to lose his Partner.

Suddenly, a miracle occurred. Something had distracted the creature. Ryo looked behind him, seeing a figure wearing a long dark coat. A black hood concealed the face of the wearer, only their mouth being visible.

Henry seeing a person who couldn't defend themselves, began to warn them. "Hey! You can't be here! It isn't safe!" The dark figure paid him no heed, slowly walking closer to the monster.

Kazu stared at the stranger, wide eyed. "Is that dude mental?"

The mysterious figure stared up at the creature, his hands twitching. In the blink of an eye, appearing in a flash of white light, the stranger held something in hand. It looked like a weapon of some sort. Much like a sword, it had a silver blade, supported by a golden hilt. However, unlike a sword, this weapon had teeth on the end, much like a key. Flowing from the hilt was a silver chain with a mouse head emblem.

Takato could feel his jaw drop. "What is that?" It took him a couple seconds to realize Guilmon was nudging him.

"Takato" the weak dinosaur said quietly. "I can't smell him."

Takato felt puzzled. "You can't smell him? Or, I guess it could be a her."

The figure jumped inhumanly high, up on top of the creature's head. Giving the weapon a shake, the figure began to slash against the creature's horn, causing the great beast to give a roar of rage.

Infuriated, the beast shook itself, throwing the cloaked figure towards the ground. Ryo grit his teeth, their "savior" was done for! That looked like a two hundred foot drop!

The figure spread their arms calmly, as though falling from such a height was nothing. As though there were a gust of wind, the figure began to slow in descent. Taking a moment to prepare, the hooded figure put their arms above their head, before falling vertically, turning their body into a torpedo.

As they rocketed towards the creature, the figure waved their empty hand, another light forming. A beautiful white blade formed. The hilt was protected by a pair of wings, a silver chain with a pink flower on the end. At the end of the blade was a blue and purple seven pointed star with golden tips.

Making contact with the horn, the figure sliced with both weapons, cutting the horn in two.

Looking towards the sky, the massive creature let out the loudest roar it had made. As though coming from the heavens, a lightning bolt zoomed towards the ground, hitting the mysterious figure head on.

The figure, too weakened by the hit, fell to the ground, creating a crater as they impacted the surface. After being dazed for a few seconds, they shakily got to their feet, using one of their weapons as a crutch, the other mysteriously gone.

The Tamers all got to their feet, helping their Digimon up. Together, they walked towards the hole, curious.

However, as soon as Ryo could see the mysterious person, Cyberdramon leaped into it, a growl escaping his lips. He tackled the injured cloaked stranger to the ground, the victim showing no signs of resistance.

"Cyberdramon, stop! He is not a threat! He saved us!" Ryo cried out desperately. "Is this how you show gratitude?!"

Guardromon as well hobbled up to the hole. "This stranger could be just as dangerous as the one he slew. For all we know, he could turn on us next. He can fly, we can not scent him, and can jump incredibly high. This suspicious creature is not human." he concluded. Guardromon raised his arms, aiming for the crater. "Guardian Barrage!"

A multitude of missiles flew into the hole. At the last second, Cyberdramon rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the barrage. The limp body of the stranger flew into the air, soaring high into the sky.

As the body arced and began to shoot down, his hood whipped off his head, the tattered cloak coming undone.

Finally getting a visual on the stranger, Ryo could see tufts of spiky brown hair, flapping in the wind. Underneath the cloak were strange garments colored black with many red pockets. He wore enormous yellow shoes, looking very tattered, as if he traveled around a lot.

Ryo heard a surprised gasp. He looked around before see Renamon, of all Digimon, crying. Tears rolled down her face as she saw the figure falling from the sky.

"It's Sora!" she cried, her face horrified after realizing what they had just done. She began to position herself, getting ready to catch the falling boy.

She was overshadowed as the great shadow of Cyberdramon flew into the sky, flying at extreme speeds in order to intercept him. Cyberdramon wrapped his arms around the limp boy's torso, before beginning to slowly descend. Cyberdramon cradled the boy gingerly in his muscular arms as he landed.

Ryo was shocked. He had never seen his Digimon act this way before. He watched stunned as Cyberdramon began to stroke the boy's face, crooning a low hum. He had never seen Cyberdramon try to be so gentle before. _This boy, he did something. Something to gain Cyberdramon's respect._

Ryo walked up to his Digimon, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cyberdramon instinctively growled, only stopping after he had seen it was him. "Cyberdramon?" Ryo asked softly. "What happened?"

As the other Tamers came to grips with what happened, they began to cautiously approach, a little fearful of Cyberdramon. It was then that Henry noticed something.

"He's hurt!" Henry pointed towards the boy's body. Thick white bandages peeked out from underneath the boy's clothing. His arm had been in what remained of a cast. Ryo glanced around, taking note that these had been old injuries. His new injuries consisted of blackened skin, courtesy of the lightning bolt.

Ryo saw Takato take Jeri away. _She didn't need to see this._ He cleared his head. "We need to get him to a hospital." Him and Henry attempted to gingerly lift the boy. However, he let out a slight groan of pain, stopping them. "We can't move him. He's too injured."

Rika grit her teeth. "We can't just leave him here! He'll die!" She crossed her arms, becoming defiant. "He saved us, we owe him our lives!"

Ryo placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. "I never said we were going to leave him. We just can't move him like this. We need to think of a better way."

MarineAngemon floated up to the boy. Closing his eyes, he began to blow on the boy, forming a large heart shaped bubble. It enveloped the boy before rising slightly off the ground.

Henry flashed a smile at the Mega. "Good thinking MarineAngemon! Now we can take him to the hospital."

Surprisingly, Renamon stepped into the path of the bubble. "No." she said firmly. "We can't take him in, not like this. He doesn't have enough time. At this very moment, I can feel his life essence draining."

Kazu came into the conversation, staring at the gigantic bubble. "Why can't MarineAngemon just heal him here?"

Ryo stepped up, already knowing the terrible answer. "MarineAngemon's Kahuna Wave can only heal data. When we Bio-Merge, he can heal us because we are made of data. However, he can't heal living creatures of flesh and blood."

Kenta gave out a grim sigh. "Then what are we supposed to do?" he asked. Nobody had an answer.

Ryo suddenly had an idea. "We'll take him to my place. I live just around the corner from here, and I know I have a First Aid kit somewhere. My dad won't be too happy, but he can't argue, given our current situation."

Rika looked from Ryo to the boy in the bubble. "Well then, what are we waiting for, an invitation? Let's go!"

Ryo took the lead as he began to run towards his house. A life was depending on him, he needed to hurry. As he turned a corner, he could see Cyberdramon staying close to the bubble. Renamon as well stayed near the injured boy. Something about this boy was special, Ryo could feel it. He managed to get Cyberdramon to care about someone other than himself or his Tamer.

As Ryo ran, it occurred to him that this was possibly the person who had rescued their Digimon in the Digital World. it definitely made sense. Everyone had thought it was a Digimon, but no one had stopped to think it might be a human.

Closing in on his home, Ryo put a hand in his pocket and procured his house key. Stepping up to his door, he put the key into the keyhole and turned it, releasing the tumblers and unlocking the door. He opened the door as wide as it would go, ushering in the Digimon and Tamers.

He knew his dad would throw a fit if something broke or got dirty, but at this point, he didn't need to be cautious, he needed to be fast. "Put him on the couch," he ordered, pointing towards an overstuffed green couch. Ryo left them to do this as he went into the kitchen, looking through cupboards and cabinets. Hidden under some folded dish towels, Ryo found what he was looking for. _For once dad, I'm glad you made me be so organized._

Entering the room, he saw the Tamers and their Digimon crowding the couch, anxiously waiting. "Henry, Kenta, I want you two to stay here with me. If everyone else could go to the backyard," he asked, pointing behind him. "That would be helpful."

Rika looked as if she wanted to argue, however her partner gave her a look, causing her to nod and follow everyone else outside. Before leaving entirely, she stopped. "He'll be okay, right?"

Ryo attempted to give her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "Don't worry Wildcat. I'll keep an eye on him. I know how much he means to Renamon and Cyberdramon."

Rika gave a small smile. "You'd better." With that, she left the room, going into the backyard with the Digimon.

Turning around, he was faced with the worried glances of Henry and Kenta. Ryo set the first aid kit on the table in front of the couch, opening it. He dug around before grabbing a tube of disinfectant. Distributing it among his wounds, Ryo could hear the boy moan a little, as the disinfectant burned the bacteria away.

"Um, guys?" Kenta asked, grabbing Ryo's attention for a moment. Henry continued to wrap bandages around the boy's arm, concentrating hard.

"Yeah Kenta?" Ryo asked, attempting to get his mind off of what had happened.

Kenta grabbed something from the boy's pants, clutching it in his fist. "Look" he said, opening his hand.

Ryo, looked at the object, let out a surprised gasp. "Is that-"

Henry cut him off. "Guys, whatever that is, it can wait. _He_ can't" he said seriously, gesturing towards the boy. Getting back to work, Henry made no eye contact as he continued to apply coats of medicine after his layer of bandages.

Ryo grabbed the old bandages and the remains of the cast the boy had worn previously, throwing them in a nearby trashcan. "I think he's a bit more stable. But we still need to get him to a hospital."

Kenta glanced worriedly at the boy. "We're gonna need to take him soon. He has a pretty high fever. We can't do anything about _these_." he said, gesturing to the burns that covered the boy's body.

Henry was already on the job, talking to an emergency operator using his cellphone. "Yeah, we found him on the street like this. No, we don't know his name. We're on the corner of GreenWood Street. Thank you." With that, Henry hung up, returning to them. "An ambulance should be here in about ten minutes. We need to get him outside."

Kenta stood up, looking determined. "I'll go get MarineAngemon. We can use his bubble to get him outside. I'll also spread the word."

Ryo gave a small smile. "That would be best. We don't want everyone tearing the house down." Kenta left, leaving Henry and Ryo alone with their comatose patient. "That thing…. the one that did this to him, what was it?" Ryo wondered aloud, not expecting to get an answer.

Henry shook his head, " I don't know. Honestly, I don't think we _want_ to know. We weren't even scratching that thing. It looked like it was toying with us." He gave a tired sigh. "We would never have gotten out of there without this guy's help, but I still can't help but think that his timing was a little _too_ perfect. What if he was on the same side as that thing? What would we do then?"

Ryo put a hand on the back of his head. "Henry, I think you're reading a little too much into this. We owe this guy for saving us. I seriously doubt he's an evil mastermind. Now come on, I hear MarineAngemon coming. We need to get him to the hospital."

The Tamers followed MarineAngemon into the street, placing the boy on the sidewalk. Within a few minutes, just as the paramedics said, the ambulance was there. Ryo couldn't help but feel relieved as the injured boy was lifted onto a gurney. _Good. He can get some professional help._ There was only room for one more person in the ambulance, so Rika was elected to stay by his side and see if he would wake up.

Henry decided that he would go to the Matsuki bakery and tell the rest of the Tamers the news. He knew Jeri would be with Takato, comforting her, and his sister Suzie had said she would be there with the twins. The junior Tamers tended to help each other with homework, making the bakery the perfect spot to study.

Ryo said goodbye to his friends as he headed back to his house. He needed to pick everything up before his dad got home. Picking up the first aid kit, he neatly put it back under the folded dish towels, attempting to make everything look spotless. It wasn't until he turned around when he saw his dad leaning against the kitchen doorway. An angry look on his face.

"Oh. Hey dad." Ryo greeted nervously. His dad continued to glare at him, not making a sound. "So. How was your day?" Ryo said quickly, attempting to change the subject.

His dad still said nothing. He simply held up a small trashcan. Ryo looked inside and saw the used bandages and destroyed cast he had taken off the boy. He had forgotten to take the garbage out! "Please tell me you're not hurt." His father said heatedly.

Ryo shook his head, attempting to calm his dad down. "You don't understand. We didn't go looking for trouble. It attacked _us_! We had to defend ourselves."

"The only thing I understand is that you said you were done with this stuff. I let you keep your little pet, if you promised to stop fighting. How long have you been lying to me?!"

Ryo held up his hands. "This was only the first battle. And like I said, it came to us, not the other way around." Ryo knew there were few things he could do to calm down his father. his father would rage on and on about how irresponisble he was being. Ryo couldn't blame him. He had walked out on his dad, no note, not goodbye, he had just left. After he returned from the Digital World, he had a long talk with his father, telling him how sorry he was and that he missed him. Ryo figured the long lectures were just part of the time he had missed with his dad, and saw them as a necessary thing to catch up.

His father gave a long sigh, rolling his fingers against his temples. "If you're not hurt, then who was? Where are they now?"

Ryo mirrored his father's sigh, once again feeling guilty. Cyberdramon should not have attacked the boy. "We don't know who he is, or where he's from, but it was a boy. He was the one who rescued us actually. We would never had escaped without him. We patched him up as best we could and sent him to the hospital. My friend should be with him now, keeping him company."

His father raised his eyebrows. "The Mighty Legendary Tamer needing help?" he remarked dryly. Ryo's dad sat down in a stool, getting comfortable. Ryo could tell he was about to begin a lecture. "Tomorrow, after school, we are going to the hospital. You will thank the boy for saving your life, and make sure he will be okay. That boy's parents will be worried sick, you are going to explain to them what happened. And as final punishment, you are going to pay for the materials you used in the first aid kit."

Ryo nodded, a little glad he didn't have to explain everything. He didn't know if he could. Getting up, he attempted to slink upstairs towards his room. However, his father's voice stopped him. "Ryo?"

"Yeah dad?"

"You most likely saved that boy's life. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks dad." With that, Ryo went upstairs, closing his bedroom door behind him. Cyberdramon was waiting patiently against the wall, looking up at the moon through his window. "Everything okay Cyberdramon?"

The Ultimate gave an uncertain shrug, something Ryo had never seen him do. "I am…." he paused searching for the right word to use. "Worried."

"About the boy?" Cyberdramon gave a slight nod, almost too fast for Ryo to catch. "Don't worry. He's getting the best help he can get. All we have to do now is wait." A thought occurred to Ryo, making a smile appear on his face. "You know Cyberdramon, you really are a puppy on the inside."

His Digimon gave a low growl. Still leaning against the wall, Cyberdramon continued to watch the moon, turning his back to Ryo.

"Goodnight Cyberdramon," Ryo rolled in his bed, staring at his door, a thought nagging him. There was something that didn't make sense. _What I want to know, is why did that boy have Takato's red Digivice?_


	4. Chapter 4

**I LIVE! That's right, the CrimsonKey is back and better than ever. Besides being up to my eyeballs in schoolwork, being beaten up by Calculus and Chemistry, having family issues, and having much of my files corrupted, its been a very long time since I've written. I know its the oldest trick in the book, and it doesn't make up for the wait time, I feel awful. So what makes up for it? New content! I felt really guilty, so I wrote all this in one night. I apologize for any errors, I was in zombie mode.**

**This chapter is dedicated to ****TakuyaFlamemon325** **and ****MicSham** **two people who favorited and followed this story. I appreciate the support and give you guys an ultimate high five. Oh wait, it digivolved. Make that a Mega high five. Enjoy!**

Despite being reassured by numerous doctors, Rika couldn't help but feel troubled. This boy, he was in bad shape. He had broken both his left leg and his right arm. His left wrist was fractured, and he had a concussion. However, that wasn't what worried the doctors. The boy had managed to break six of his ribs, and had internal bleeding. Courtesy of the last lightning bolt, the boy was covered in second and third degree burns.

What remained of the boy was swathed in head to toe of white bandages, making him look like a mummy.

Renamon hadn't left his side. She leaned against a wall, looking deep in thought. Rika knew her partner too well, and could tell she was blaming herself. Rika sat down in a chair overlooking the room. "Renamon?"

The Rookie gave a jolt, calming down as she recognized who spoke. "Oh. Rika."

Rika could hear the grief in her voice. _This boy, he must mean a lot to her. _The Tamer put a hesitant hand on her partner's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Renamon shook her head slowly. "I- I can't." She looked over the boy forlornly. "It's too painful."

Rika could feel her temper rising. _I've had it up to here! _"Get a grip!" She stood up, her hands balled into fists. Her partner became rigid with shock.

"Rika!"

"I've tried getting close to you, I've tried giving you space, but nothing helps. You've been moping for too long! You can't fall apart at the slightest bit of news! Where is the Renamon I became partners with? She clearly isn't in the room with me right now!" An unnatural silence filled the room. Renamon's face was a battleground, many conflicting emotions fighting for dominance.

Her partner looked at her with a defeated face. "You are right. I have not been myself lately." She gave out a long sigh. "The Digital World, its-" She paused for a moment. Rika could barely hear her next words. "It's gone."

Rika could feel her anger melting. "The Digital World is gone!?" Rika collapsed back into the chair. _This can't be happening. All those Digimon, our friends, just… gone._

"Perhaps…. Perhaps it is time I told you of what occurred." Renamon gazed at Rika sadly. She leaned against the wall, her tail swishing anxiously. "This boy, Sora, he saved us. There's no one like him, I'm sure of it. He saved each of us, reunited us Digimon together, helped us as we attempted to return to this world, he did all this without a second thought. Sora was just as miserable as us, if not more, and yet he did all this, smiling all the way." Rika could hear the fondness in Renamon's voice as she spoke of her adventures. "We owe him a debt, one we can never repay. If he dies… because of us, I could never forgive myself."

_H_e _saved them? Although, then again, he did save __**us**_ _from that purple puffball._ "What happened? To the Digital World I mean? What destroyed it?" Her thoughts turned to an answer, one she hoped wasn't true. "It's not… the D-Reaper is it?"

Renamon shook her head. "No. This enemy, they are much stronger, and much more dangerous." The Rookie Digimon crossed her arms, looking at the ground, attempting to avoid Rika's worried gaze. "I was unable to see this enemy, the Megas forbid it."

"The Megas? As in Mega Digimon?"

"Yes. After the battle with the D-Reaper, almost every Digimon reverted to an egg, having expended all their energy. The few Megas that remained helped the Sovereign create order, attempting to rebuild the Digital World."

Rika was curious. _They helped each other? Digimon don't help each other. They're in it for themselves, survival of the fittest. _However, before she had a chance to ask how, Rika was interrupted by a loud ringing.

A passing nurse stopped in the frame of the door and gave Rika a dirty glare. "Shhh!" she motioned fiercely. With that, she stomped away, tending to various patients.

Rika rolled her eyes before grabbing her cellphone. "Hello?" Her ear was blasted by a loud worried voice, causing Rika to cringe.

"Rika! This is your mother! Where are you! You were supposed to be home two hours ago. Don't tell me you're still playing in the park at this time of night!"

Rika glanced at her watch. _9:06. Whoops._ "No mom, I'm not in the park. I'm in the hospital. My-

She was interrupted by a deep intake of breath on the other end. "Rika! What happened! I'm coming right over. Ohhh, I knew I should never have let you fight these Digimon again." Rika was able to hear her mom rush frantically around the house.

"Mom! Just stop, I'm fine. I'm not hurt. It was… a friend. In fact, it was him who saved me, us. He saved me as well as the rest of my friends. I'm not leaving him, I can't. I owe him my life!" It took Rika a moment to realize she had blabbed out everything in a panic. Despite her wishes, she couldn't stop a tear from exiting her eye. "I have to stay with him. I just have to." she continued softly.

The other side of the phone was silent. Almost hesitantly, a soothing voice spoke. "Okay honey. I can't even begin to imagine what you just went through. You can stay as long as you feel. You can even skip school for a few days, if you really want to. But if you ever want to talk, I'm here, as well as your grandma."

"Thanks mom." Rika said quietly. "For understanding."

"I'm going to leave now. There'll be food in the kitchen if you get hungry."

Rika nodded. However, she realized her mother couldn't see this. "Okay" she replied numbly.

"Goodbye honey. I'm sorry for your friend." With that, Rika's mother hung up, leaving the room quiet.

Rika lifted her head. Renamon had moved towards the bed, her gauntleted paw over that of the boy. Renamon looked deep in thought, whether good or bad, Rika couldn't tell.

"Renamon?" Her Digimon turned to her. "What's on your mind?"

Renamon gave a sigh, something she did a lot lately. "You have grown up much these past two years. I only wish I could have been here to experience it with you."

The Tamer attempted to give her partner a comforting smile. "Yeah, you missed two years of my life. But that doesn't mean you have to miss anymore. We have our whole lives ahead of us."

Renamon gave her a grateful look. "Thank you Rika. That means a lot to me." The Rookie attempted to give her a smile, only to have her tail fall sadly onto the bed. "I only wish we would know if _he_ would have his full life ahead of him. Sora should not have been dragged into this."

_There's no way I can get her mind off of this Sora now. Perhaps I shouldn't fight her. Maybe I should do the opposite. _"You mind telling me about him? What's he like?"

Renamon allowed a small but noticeable smile to find its way on her face, the first genuine smile Rika had seen since she had returned. "For one thing, he was always smiling. It somehow became contagious, spreading to all of us. Even Impmon, of all Digimon."

Rika felt her eyes widen. "Really? How is that even possible?!" _This boy must've been a miracle worker. _

Renamon gave a smirk. "Sora did many impressive feats, but getting Impmon to smile, that was by far his greatest achievements." The Digimon gave a sigh, sounding much more content than she had moments earlier.

Rika let out a startled gasp. "Oh! That reminds me. How did he beat that purple fuzzball? It nearly kills all of us, while we were in our Champion and Ultimate forms. But this one kid manages to beat it by himself in two hits. Who is he?"

Her Partner gave a shrug. "I don't know, he never said anything. He kept his past to himself. I had not seen that weapon of his in the Digital World. Perhaps his friends know." she contemplated.

It took Rika a moment before she figured out Renamon was referring to the two Digimon they had been caring for the mysterious Swanmon and Doggymon. "Is he a Tamer?"

"Yes" Her partner voiced distantly. "However, there was something that puzzled me. I only caught one glimpse of his Digivice, but I'm certain of it. The Digivice he carries is the one that once belonged to Takato"

"How?" As far as Rika knew, once a Digivice belonged to a Tamer, it was forever. Even now, Jeri still carried around her broken Digivice, a memento to Leomon. How Sora had gotten it, Rika didn't have the foggiest of ideas.

A quiet _rap rap_ echoed through the room. Rika looked in the doorway to see another nurse, clutching a clipboard with various papers. She gave a wide smile before stepping into the room. "I'm sorry miss, but I need you to leave the room. I need to give your boyfriend a check up and change his bandages."

Rika could feel her face turning tomato red. "He's not my boyfriend" she growled. Rika could feel Renamon tense as her partner sensed her impending anger.

The nurse gave a cheeky wink. "No need to be bashful, sugar. Your boyfriend's in the best of care. Nothing bad will happen to him, not on our watch." She turned her back to her as she began to unbutton the boy's hospital gown. As the nurse began to unravel the bloody bandages, Rika could see the scars and bruises that had been hidden.

It wasn't until she had seen the marks that covered Sora's body when his condition hit her. She knew he had banged up, she had even been told by the doctors the extent of his injuries, but now that she had seen them, experienced them, it made her feel something she didn't want to feel. Fear. It ran through her veins, bringing a numbness that spread throughout her body. She could feel her anger fading, replaced by horror and shock.

Rika could feel herself being dragged out of the room by Renamon. Her partner had grasped her hand and shoulder, guiding her like a small child. They passed by many other patients' rooms as they proceeded down the long brightly lit hallway. Rika could feel the various bodies of the doctors as they passed her, but paid no heed to them, too distraught to really take notice.

Being sat down by Renamon, Rika realized she had been taken to cafe. The smell of coffee and baked goods filled the air, surprising for such a late time at night. Rika let out a small yawn before looking at the table, determined to not be weak in front of her Partner.

Besides the occasional noise of clinking china from the other customers, all was quiet. Rika attempted to recollect her thoughts, but was having little luck, all that remained was a single thought.

Many moments passed before a single name was uttered. It pierced the silence, like a hot knife slicing through butter. "Rika?" Her partner asked slowly, gently, carefully.

Rika looked up, not bothering to hide her emotions. What surprised her was the sympathy in Renamon's eyes. It tempted her to allow herself to break down, right then and there, in the middle of a quaint cafe at who knows what time of night it was.

Suddenly, almost unwillingly, she said it. "I could have died." Rika said simply. "We were in the middle of a battle, fighting to defeat that, that _thing,_ and then…" She paused, looking for the words needed to express what she was feeling. "It was toying with us. It could have taken us all out in one big hit, but it didn't do it. It preferred to watch us suffer, struggle to survive as we fought in a battle we couldn't win."

Renamon neither moving nor breathing, simply raised an eyebrow, a sign for Rika to continue. Rika looked at the table once more, a bitter taste on her tongue. She opened her mouth, getting ready to admit something she would never tell anyone else, not even her grandmother. "It scared me. A boy I don't even know risked his own life to save ours, and I don't even know the first thing about him, or where he comes from. As Tamers, it's our job to protect the people, not the other way around." Against her wishes, Rika could feel hot tears dripping down her face. "It just isn't fair!" she sputtered angrily.

The Rookie Digimon enveloped her Tamer in an embrace. "Oh Rika." she muttered softly. They sat in the cafe for what felt like hours, attempting to comfort each other. Rika had bought herself a blueberry muffin, devouring it in large ravenous bites. She realized it had been the first thing she had eaten all day, what with the stress of the afternoon and a skipped breakfast.

She watched Renamon calmly sip a mug of tea, an emotion she hadn't felt in a while brewing inside of her. Rika felt like she wanted to say something, but not with the other customers around. "Thanks," she said simply. The Digimon nodded knowingly.

Finishing their small meal, Rika cleaned the table they were sitting at, throwing away the muffin wrapper and returning Renamon's mug. "I think I'm ready to go see him again," Rika stated, attempting to sound more confident than she felt. Together, the duo walked down the white corridors, going up an elevator to see the secretary of the visitor's office.

The elderly man flashed them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry young miss." he wheezed. "But your boyfriend just went into surgery. The doctors are attempting to repair some severe internal damage. Normally, I'd allow you to wait here in the lobby, but the visiting hours are over for today."

Rika suppressed a groan. _This old geezer must be in line with that nurse._ She would have loved to give him a piece of her mind, but the way his eyes twinkled, she couldn't find it in her heart to do it. Rika simply nodded. "Thank you. I'll be here later tomorrow then." With that, she followed Renamon towards the elevator, waiting for the doors to open.

Thinking they were out of earshot, the elderly man began to talk to himself. "That sonny's a lucky man, having a lass like that. I just hope his condition improves so she has someone to return to." he said darkly. He began to whistle a merry little tune, something Rika didn't recognize.

Hearing the elevator make its trademark ding, they walked into the elevator, taking it down to the lobby. From there they exited through the rotating hospital doors, out into the crisp August night air. Since Rika had ridden the ambulance to the hospital, she would have to walk home. Lucky for her, the hospital was pretty close to her house. She often had to go there with her grandmother, so she knew the way home by heart. Tying her shoelaces, Rika put her hands in her jean pockets, beginning the stroll home. She checked her watch, it was only 2 am, she wouldn't be it _that _much trouble. Right?

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Takato rolled in his bed. He closed his eyes and tried for a few minutes to fall asleep before inevitably sitting up, the effort futile. The events of the day replayed in his mind, over and over, making him restless. Normally, when a Digimon entered through his world, he and his friends would defeat it, send it back to its own world, and finish the day, laughing or smiling. Today had been drastically different. It just proved how real and cruel these missions could be sometimes. He knew if his mom found out what had occurred that day, she would never let him leave his room ever again.

His parents had certainly been suspicious when he had brought a sobbing Jeri and an injured Guilmon home with him. Seeing that he wasn't in the mood to talk, his father had been brave enough to pull his inquisitive wife into the back room. Takato knew he certainly owed his dad a huge favor, as there were few things that could stop a nagging mother. The only other things that came to mind was huge sale on shoes, or cute puppy pictures.

Takato had taken Jeri up to his room, a plate of cream puffs in his hand. Not having the strength to talk to her, he left her and Guilmon in his room with the cream puffs and slowly walked down the stairs. Wanting to keep himself busy, he had cleaned the tables, polishing the wood and discarding various wrappers. Two hours later, Jeri had come out, still looking shaken, but much better. She had thanked him, putting the empty plate on the counter. She then did something that made Takato feel fuzzy inside, Jeri had hugged him. He remembered holding onto her as she buried her head into his shoulder.

Takato walked up to the window, glancing at the clock as he crossed the room. 11:04 pm. The stars twinkled brightly as he gazed at them, deep in thought. _What kind of Digimon were they?_ He had been unable to scan both of them, something that troubled him. The second one had been far stronger, nearly destroying him, and everyone he cared about. Were these Digimon really that strong? Or had he gotten weaker? He and Guilmon had been separated for a total of two years. Takato had created Digimon, had the extended time in the Digital World erase all of Guilmon's strengths, had they been reset?

_Ugh_. All these questions were beginning to hurt his brain. He couldn't think clearly, not at 11pm. The sound of his door creaking open caused Takato to jump, slamming his head against the frame of his bed. Guilmon, feeling the impact turned, facing the wall. Rubbing the back of his head, Takato looked in the doorway, surprised to see Doggymon."Oh! Doggymon. What are you doing up at this time of night?" Takato asked, curious.

The mute Digimon pointed to Takato, making a thumbs up and a thumbs down. "How am I?" Takato translated. The dog nodded. Takato shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It's been a long day, what with a seven page essay for homework, and getting thrashed by two of the strongest Digimon I've ever seen." Takato heaved a sigh, something his mother did quite often. "I just wish things could go back to normal."

Something clicked in Takato's mind. _Oh the irony._ After he had been separated from Guilmon, he wanted nothing to do with a normal life. Now that he had his little buddy back, it was all he dreamed about. _I guess the saying it true. You always want what you can never have._ "Do you wish you could go back to the Digital World? Back to your home?"

Doggymon put a paw on his face, contemplating the thought. After consideration, the Digimon gave a small nod, followed by shake of its head. Takato scrunched up his face, confused. "You do, but, you don't?" The Digimon nodded. Takato clearly didn't know the whole story, but he didn't want to bother the hardworking Digimon. It was a shame he couldn't write.

Takato put a hand on top of Doggymon's head. "Thanks for letting me talk to you. I needed someone to vent with, and you are a good listener. Tomorrow should be a lot easier, now that I don't have to deal with giant purple mammoths." Takato joked, giving a small laugh.

Doggymon stared at Takato intently, his eyes looking serious for the first time since he had entered the house. Before Takato had a chance to ask what was wrong, Doggymon pointed to him and mimicked a hand gesture that told him that he should be sleeping.

Takato gave a small yawn, now that the Digimon mentioned it, he _was _feeling tired. Takato crawled into his bed, pulling the covers over his shoulders. "Goodnight Doggymon," he muttered drowsily. With that, he closed his eyes, letting out the occasional soft snore.

Had Takato stayed awake, he would have realized that something was _indeed _wrong. Something that would cause quite a panic in the morning, as a small army of customers infiltrated the bakery, and the dishes lay in a pile by the kitchen sink, or the fact that the garbage began to accumulate in the corner of the shop. Doggymon had left the building.

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_Poor boy_ thought the nurse that tended his bedside. She clutched her clipboard tightly as she read the diagnosis the surgeon had left her. He was stable for now, but he was still had a lot of internal bruising, there wasn't much they could have done with that. His broken ribs had been tightly bound in thick bandages, as well as his broken hand, leg, and fractured wrist. The burns that coated in skin had been disinfected in an herbal bath and smothered in ointment and even more bandages. The swelling of his concussion had died down which brought some relief, but was still being monitored.

The sudden opening of a door caused the nurse to jump. Picking up her fallen clipboard, she looked to see what had startled her. "Oh, doctor," she said, relieved. However, he wasn't alone, behind him was a woman.

The doctor flashed her a smile. "Kathy," he greeted. With that, he moved towards the boy, motioning for the woman to come closer. "Now ma'am, I know, I'm asking a lot from you, but considering we don't know where his parents are, and you _are _the one that found him, you're the closest thing to family he has."

The woman flashed a sympathetic look. "He's all alone?" She came to the bedside, stroking the patient's hand.

The doctor nodded. "Yes. What I'm asking for is for you to take him home and look after him for a couple of days. I know this is on short notice, but he has nowhere else to go."

Kathy was confused. "But doctor, he's just been through surgery and has all these injuries. The _last_ thing we want to do is move him."

The doctor flashed a genuine smile. "Someone's been keeping up with their studies!" he cleared his throat. "Ordinarily yes, we wouldn't even think of letting him leave the hospital. But in his current state, he's stable. He needs to be somewhere quiet to heal properly, and he can't get that here with us running around willy nilly."

The woman gave a brief smile. "I guess it's a good thing I live so close to the hospital. How long would I care for him?"

The doctor shrugged. "We're unsure. But considering you live so close to the hospital, a doctor will come out each day to check up on him. And if an emergency occurs, you'll be able to call for help easily. This makes you the perfect candidate."

The woman smiled until an unpleasant thought occurred. "Would I have to miss work?"

Kathy nodded. "Most definitely. He may be stable, but he will need constant supervision for at least the first few days. Afterwards, he should be able to care for himself." Kathy attempted to give an encouraging smile. "He should be as good as new eventually!"

The woman gave a small frown. "I suppose, although, the children will be so disappointed." A smile finally found its way to her face. "I can do this. I could use a few days to myself. Yeah, it could be a mini vacation."

The doctor smiled. "That's the way to think, ma'am."

THe woman wore an expression of mock horror. "Oh no, please don't call me ma'am. It makes me sound far older than I am!"

Kathy scratched the back of her head. "We will give you some pain killers for the boy, they'll keep him nice and numb for a few days, just until most of the intensive wounds are healed, Miss- um, what do I call you?"

The woman clutched her purse as she walked towards the doctor and Kathy to shake their hands. Her heels clicked loudly against the tile floor as she moved, almost in a certain rhythm. "You may call me Mrs. Asagi ."

**That's that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you have any ideas, criticism or praise, leave a wonderful comment. Reading them would make my day. It would also inspire some certain fingers to get out there and type like the mad little typers they are. See everyone in a bit! :D**


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